DOCSLIB.ORG

'Ever Given' Ship Ruins More Than a Muddy Canal

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
'Ever Given' Ship Ruins More Than a Muddy Canal G THE B IN EN V C R H E S A N 8 8 D 8 B 1 AR SINCE WWW. NYLJ.COM VOLUME 266—NO. 5 THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 ADMIRALTY LAW Expert Analysis ‘Ever Given’ Ship Ruins More Than a Muddy Canal ithin days of the an agreement that the shipown- March 23, 2021 By er will come back to a specified James E. grounding of the Mercante jurisdiction to defend against M/V Ever Given, all claims. It is like bail money headlines were guaranteeing the owner will not Walready focusing on the ship’s flee the jurisdiction (never to be officers and pilots. The massive as the thousands of containers found again), but also that the container ship halted traffic in stacked high above deck pre- owner has the funds in place the Suez Canal for a week. sented a huge sail area for the to pay proven claims. See, e.g., The negative press started gusting winds. But, no official Rule C, In Rem Actions. with a Washington Post story, agency, cargo interest, or Canal “Suez Canal Pilots Come Under authority was going to simply The Ever Given case will be Scrutiny After Grounding of blame Mother Nature, as she is talked about and reviewed Ship.” The Wall Street Journal not equipped with insurance or for many years to come. And, followed with aim at the ves- the wherewithal to pay claims. undoubtedly, the colossal sel’s skipper in an article titled Shortly after the ship was container ship that captured “Egyptian Officials Accuse Ever refloated to cheers of celebra- Given’s Captain of Losing Con- tion, it hit another major road- the world’s attention for six trol of Ship in Suez Canal.” This block. The Ever Given did not days will be “ever giving” to the finger pointing occurred despite even make it to the end of the maritime lawyers and marine reports of powerful sandstorms Suez Canal before it was arrest- experts who will handle this and high winds at the time of ed under maritime law by Egyp- mega casualty far into the fu- the accident, which affected not tian authorities, who demanded ture, perhaps a decade or more. only visibility on the bridge, more than $900 million in secu- but also steerage of the ship rity to let the vessel sail on. In FRCP, Supplemental Rules for maritime law, a ship can be Admiralty or Maritime Claims. JAMES E. MERCANTE (jmercante@rubinfiorella. arrested to obtain security for com) is a partner at Rubin, Fiorella, Friedman & future claims and to enforce a Needless to say, the six days Mercante and President of the Board of Commis- sioners of Pilots of the State of New York. maritime lien. There can also be aground will not soon, if ever, THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 be forgotten by Ever Given’s tain and the local pilots? What world’s attention for six days captain and local pilots as the engine and helm orders were will be “ever giving” to the investigations, claims, inqui- given throughout the maneuver- maritime lawyers and marine ries, depositions, and litiga- ing? Was there too much speed experts who will handle this tion ensues and ensnarls them. in close quarters? What was the mega casualty far into the The casualty investigation will effect of bank cushion? Was a future, perhaps a decade or examine the acts or omissions voyage data recorder (black more. of the two Egyptian canal pilots, box) activated and capturing Sinking Feeling: Actions their interaction with the ship’s all communications? And, this Against Captains and Pilots captain prior to getting under- is just the tip of the iceberg. way, and then every step of the Unfortunately, the two pilots Of course, one might think way during the voyage. Issues and captain will be pawns not that “a decade or more” is a to be explored will include: only in the major marine casu- bit far-fetched, but don’t tell • The master-pilot exchange; alty investigations, but in the that to the Exxon Valdez inter- • The conditions at the time admiralty litigations to follow. ests or the captain of that oil of the grounding, and who But the decision to allow this tanker. The Exxon Valdez hit made the decision to get Bligh Reef in 1989, spilling underway despite the pre- It is said that a collision at sea millions of gallons of oil, and vailing winds and weather; will ruin your whole day. Yet, the matter was litigated right • The pilots’ experience; that saying must have been up until 2018, nearly 30 years • The captain’s experience, coined in the days of wooden after the incident. The captain not only on the Ever Given, was charged by the U.S. Coast sailing ships when litigation but also in the Suez Canal, Guard in a license Suspension & was perhaps the exception along with his experience Revocation (S&R) proceeding, not the rule. in tight quarters of a ship of named in the civil lawsuits, and that length, beam and draft giant ship into the canal in the was charged criminally. It took with a ridiculous number of first place must also be scruti- years, but the captain—one of containers (18,300) on board nized. The ship is 1,312 feet long Exxon’s finest—was acquitted and stacked tremendously and nearly 200 feet wide. The at all stages of the criminal trial high. Suez Canal is itself only about and in the S&R proceedings, and The investigation will also 650 feet wide, leaving little mar- did not lose his Coast Guard scrutinize what transpired when gin for error on each side of the license. A maritime classmate the vessel became in extremis. ship. It’s like looking at the ship of the captain and admiralty Were the pilots relieved by the model inside a glass bottle and lawyer took the conn to defend ship captain at any time? Who wondering “How did that get in the skipper and his reputation. was giving the commands in the there?” Then there’s the case of the fateful last turns? Where were The Ever Given case will be Staten Island Ferry, which the tugboats? Who was steer- talked about and reviewed crashed into a concrete pier ing the ship, and how did that for many years to come. And, in New York Harbor in 2003. helmsman perform? Any tran- undoubtedly, the colossal con- The captain and pilot were sit disagreements among Cap- tainer ship that captured the pursued not only by the U.S. THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 Coast Guard, but were obvi- liability will be asserted against 862 F. Supp. 1260 (D. New Jer- ous witnesses in civil litigation, the pilot except for his/her will- sey, 1994). and faced potential criminal ful misconduct or gross negli- Hitting Rock Bottom charges as 11 passengers were gence. One shipowner tried to killed and more than 70 were sidestep the terms of the pilot It is said that a collision at injured. The litigations contin- ticket by alleging the pilot was sea will ruin your whole day. ued for nearly a decade. The guilty of gross negligence in a Yet, that saying must have been ferry captain had no insurance, simple grounding at the stern coined in the days of wooden and would be bankrupt if not while docking in Brooklyn. sailing ships when litigation was for a maritime lawyer stepping That argument did not work perhaps the exception not the up and defending the captain and, ultimately, the claim was rule. Today, any type of major pro bono. dismissed, and the shipowner marine casualty will be agoniz- In another harrowing inci- was required to pay the pilot’s ing and costly for years as evi- dent, a federal pilot was sued attorney fees in defending denced by the examples above, personally for $4.6 million by against the bogus claims. Ste- and as is already obvious in the the tug company he was affili- vens Technical Services v. MOR- Ever Given casualty. ated with as a result of the MAC Marine Enterprises, 2004 The Ever Given casualty will grounding of a sludge barge WL 3152788 (E.D.N.Y. 2004). cost billions of dollars and outside New York Harbor en Similarly, the docking pilot will be a windfall for some and route to sea. The pilot was on of the motor tanker BT Nauti- unfortunately a fall from grace the Staten Island Expressway lus was sued personally for a for others. when the barge grounded, yet grounding in 1990 that resulted the tug company sued the pilot in an oil spill in New York Har- (not the tug Captain) claiming bor. The respected federal pilot he left the flotilla too early. became embroiled in the case While litigation lasted over two primarily because the shipown- years, the case was ultimately er had a statutory limitation dismissed. The pilot was fortu- of liability defense and other nate to have purchased marine defenses that the pilot did not license insurance that provid- have. Lawyers figured suing the ed civil legal defense coverage pilot was a way to do an end which eased his emotional (and around the ship owner because financial) pain. pursuant to the pilotage tick- Unfortunately, even with et, the vessel owner could be favorable terms in a “pilot called upon to indemnify the ticket”, pilots get sued. The pilot against any liability to the pilotage clause in New York plaintiffs. The trial took 19 days, Harbor, for example, states 27 witnesses and 247 exhibits, that the federal pilot becomes and was decided more than four Reprinted with permission from the July 8, 2021 edition of the NEW YORK the “borrowed servant” of the years after the incident.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • World's Largest Container Ship Successfully Passes Through the Suez Canal | Datamarnews
    9/3/21, 4:43 PM World's Largest Container Ship Successfully Passes Through the Suez Canal | DatamarNews About Contact Us Media Kit SHIPPING WORLD’S LARGEST CONTAINER SHIP SUCCESSFULLY PASSES THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL Sep, 02, 2021 Posted by Sylvia Schandert Week 202135 On August 28, the Ever Ace container ship made waves and turned heads with its unusual appearance. This monstrous oating box was built by Samsung Heavy Industries for Evergreen Marine Corporation and has a capacity of 23,992 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), making it the largest such vessel in the world. It is the newest addition to Evergreen’s eet and was delivered by the builder this July. The Ever Ace measures 1,312 ft (400 meters) in length and weighs approximately 235,000 tons. Because of its large size, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) followed its protocols and offered navigation support during the transit, ensuring a safe passage of the ship. It also welcomed the captain and the crew of the vessel. The SCA later shared the moment on social media. Earlier this month, the Ever Ace set sail from the Port of Taipei in Taiwan, beginning its maiden voyage. Its destination is the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where the container ship is expected to arrive on September 4. Evergreen Marine Corporation also owns the Ever Given ship, which made the headlines this spring for blocking the Suez Canal and causing a major disruption in global trade. It took six days to reoat it and hundreds of vessels had to wait their turn to pass through the 120-mile (193 km) long canal.
    [Show full text]
  • (AGCS) Safety & Shipping Review 2021
    ALLIANZ GLOBAL CORPORATE & SPECIALTY Safety and Shipping Review 2021 An annual review of trends and developments in shipping losses and safety SAFETY AND SHIPPING REVIEW 2021 About AGCS Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) is a leading global corporate insurance carrier and a key business unit of Allianz Group. We provide risk consultancy, Property‑Casualty insurance solutions and alternative risk transfer for a wide spectrum of commercial, corporate and specialty risks across 10 dedicated lines of business. Our customers are as diverse as business can be, ranging from Fortune Global 500 companies to small businesses, and private individuals. Among them are not only the world’s largest consumer brands, tech companies and the global aviation and shipping industry, but also satellite operators or Hollywood film productions. They all look to AGCS for smart answers to their largest and most complex risks in a dynamic, multinational business environment and trust us to deliver an outstanding claims experience. Worldwide, AGCS operates with its own teams in 31 countries and through the Allianz Group network and partners in over 200 countries and territories, employing around 4,400 people. As one of the largest Property‑ Casualty units of Allianz Group, we are backed by strong and stable financial ratings. In 2020, AGCS generated a total of €9.3 billion gross premium globally. www.agcs.allianz.com 2 PAGE 4 Executive summary PAGE 10 Losses in focus: 2011 to 2020 Trends PAGE 18 1. The Covid factors PAGE 28 2. Larger vessels PAGE 38 3. Supply chains and ports PAGE 42 4. Security and sanctions PAGE 48 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Vessel Stuck26 NEW
    Mammoth efforts are under way to free the container vessel, Ever Given, which was forced aground on one of the Suez Canal’s banks by powerful winds. Hundreds of vessels are caught in the bottleneck on either side of the canal linking Asia and Europe. Here is a look at the rescue operation which, Race to free a giant according to experts, would most likely be a challenging and long-drawn endeavour. GETTING THE VESSEL UNSTUCK WHERE IT HAPPENED Dredging and digging • The Ever Given container ship got stuck in the canal on March 23. Dredgers are clearing sand and mud from around Port Said SUEZ CANAL AT A GLANCE 1 the ship. Diggers on the bank are also removing • CSCL Indian Ocean, a ship of a similar earth and rock around the ship’s bow. size, was stuck near the port of Hamburg in Germany in 2016. It took 12 Opened for Overall tugboats and nearly a week to free it. SINAI navigation in length North Mediterranean It is difficult for ships stuck in the canal Atlantic Sea to turn around because of the channel’s Ocean 1869 193.3km narrow width. EGYPT EUROPE ASIA Width at 11m depth Suez 280m Ismailia Canal Arabian 205m/225m Sea Tugboats Maximum loaded ship Ever AFRICA Given SINGAPORE 240,000 DWT* *Deadweight tonnage, a measurement of the Indian total contents of a ship such as cargo, fuel, Ocean crew, passengers, food and water Suez Key maritime passage Suez Canal Proportion of world maritime freight Gulf of Suez passing by the canal In % of total transport by weight 12 10.9% Tug and pull Lightening its load Removing containers Banking on the tide Tugboats are being used to free the vessel but wind If this does not work, the In the worst-case scenario, some of Experts said the best 2 conditions and the ship’s size are hindering the operation.
    [Show full text]
  • Sailing Over Troubled Water
    SAILING OVER TROUBLED WATER Stephen Li 1 A Background of the incident and Nautical Terms B Navigational safety in Suez Canal Transit C Pilotage of ships, their duties and liabilities 2 GROUNDING OF M.V. “EVER GIVEN” Between 23 and 29, March 2021, the Suez Canal was blocked for six days after the accidental grounding of m.v. Ever Given, a Golden Class 20,000 TEU container ship, on the morning at about 0744 local time of 23 March. The 400-metre-long (1,300 ft) vessel was buffeted by strong winds, and ended up wedging itself across the waterway, bow and stern stuck in the canal bank, which prevented other vessels from passing through that part of the Suez Canal. . 3 The Suez Canal is one of the world's busiest trade routes, and the obstruction had a significant negative impact on trade between Europe and Asia and the Middle East. On 28 March, at least 369 ships were queuing to pass through the canal. This prevented an estimated $9.6 billion worth of trade. On 29 March, Ever Given was re-floated and moved to the Great Bitter Lake for technical inspection, The Suez Canal Authorities allowed shipping to resume from 19:00LT (17:00 UTC) 4 5 Nautical Terms 6 LOCATIONS AND DIRECTIONS IN A SHIP 8 TERMS RELATED TO HULL TERMS RELATED TO A SHIP Superstructure Hull MEASUREMENT OF SHIPS • Displacement – This is the actual weight of the vessel measured by weight in tons of water she displaces when loaded with fuel, water, stores and crew.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ms Ever Given Casualty, Its Legal Consequenses and the Risky Logistics Behind the Suez Canal
    1 THE MS EVER GIVEN CASUALTY, ITS LEGAL CONSEQUENSES AND THE RISKY LOGISTICS BEHIND THE SUEZ CANAL InterTran research group Webinar, University of Helsinki 29 April 2021 Professor of Logistics Lauri Ojala, University of Turku [email protected] Turun kauppakorkeakoulu Turku School of Economics 2 About MS Ever Given and the incident Prof. Lauri Ojala on Container Shipping, 29 April 2021 MS Ever Given: key data 3 220,940 GT Tonnage: 99,155 NT 199,629 DWT Capacity: 20,124 TEU Displacement: 265,876 t Length: 399.9 m Beam: 58.8 m Crew: 25 The vessel was almost fully laden mainly with FEUs Owner (Japan): Shoei Kisen Kaisha 11,000+ boxes with goods from 50,000+ shippers onboard Operator (TWN): Evergreen Marine ~370 vessels carrying goods worth US$ 9bn, incl. 200,000+ Port of registry: Panama City (PAN) live animal queued on both sides of the grounded vessel* Source: Evergreen Line Prof. Lauri Ojala on Container Shipping, 29 April 2021 *Source: DHL Evergreen Line’s Statement regarding Ever Given 4 incident in the Suez Canal, issued 24 March 2021: “Evergreen Marine Corp. received a notice from the owner of EVER GIVEN that the chartered vessel ran aground in the Suez Canal at around 8 am local time on March 23. This accident occurred at 6 nautical miles from the southern entry of the Canal as the container ship proceeded northbound through the waterway from the Red Sea. Gusting winds of 30 knots caused the container ship to deviate from its course, suspectedly leading to the grounding.” Source: Evergreen Line & BBC Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Print This Briefing
    Monday June 7, 2021 Daily Briefing Leading maritime commerce since 1734 LEAD STORY: Shipowners will soon face taxes as Shipowners will soon face well as death taxes as well as death WHAT TO WATCH: Greek tanker owners in apparent Venezuela U-turn China-based shipbuilders added to US investment blacklist OPINION: Successful crew change comes from years of hard graft ANALYSIS: Poor packing of dangerous goods implicated in X-Press Pearl fire Speed and control will be key to Ever Given dispute Salvage claim by Suez Canal Authority faces challenge BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FAMOUSLY observed that nothing in life is MARKETS: certain except death and taxes. But as far as shipping is concerned, the Chinese grain demand offers Founding Father was only half right. significant boost to panamax earnings Yantian Port congestion spreads into Owners have not — not yet, anyway — unlocked the secret of nearby hubs immortality. But the industry does enjoy the remarkable privilege of an opt-out from imposts that are compulsory for most other business IN OTHER NEWS: sectors. CMA CGM revenues surge on demand Declining revenues raise concern over In Greece, always the maritime nation par excellence, such exemption viability of salvage industry is even constitutionally enshrined. Brit launches marine war consortium Now, for the first time-ever, these time-honoured arrangements face Diana agrees two charters at double real challenge, at least at the top end of the game. previous rates After the global financial crisis, electorates are increasingly cheesed off Port states raise concerns over crew- with the likes of Amazon and Google forking out only low single digit change breaches percentage points of their vast pandemic-inflated turnovers.
    [Show full text]
  • CJC Exchange: 09/04/2021 – ISSUE 19
    09/04/2021 – ISSUE # 19 CJC Exchange is a weekly newsletter from Campbell Johnston Clark, incorporating with kind permission from Gibson Shipbrokers the most recent issue of the Gibson Sale & Purchase Market Report. A blend of market intelligence and relevant industry news, CJC Exchange is distributed free of charge to parties on the CJC mailing list who have given permissions to receive S&P updates from CJC. CJC Exchange is available to new subscribers here. In this issue: Gibson Sale & Purchase Market Report Dry Cargo – Stellar Sales | Tankers – Vintage Vantage | Recycling – Caution, but Markets Still Firm | Sale & Purchase Market Report | CJC Market News CVLC Three Carrier Corp and Anor v Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company [2021] EWHC 551 (Comm)| Suez Canal Authority to seek private settlement with owner of Ever Given| Carnival Corp Reports a Loss of $2bn in the First Quarter | Gibson Sale & Purchase Market Report With over 125 years of expertise Gibson Shipbrokers is a leading provider of Sale & Purchase, Newbuildings, Recycling and Ship Valuation services. +44(0) 20 7667 1000 - [email protected] - www.gibsons.co.uk DRY CARGO – Stellar Sales Bearing in mind that this week's sales list incorporates the last fortnight of sales and with the BDI seemingly to be plateauing, it is interesting to note that sales concentration seems to have centred on alternative sizes. For instance, we are seeing a lot more commotion in the post-panamax sector with a number of sales and, given the rapid appreciation in panamax and kamsarmax values, the levels being concluded look attractive against these increases.
    [Show full text]
  • Evergreen Marine Corp. Had Received a Notice from the Shipowner Of
    Dear Valued Customers, Hope you are safe and best of health! Evergreen Marine Corp. had received a notice from the shipowner of EVER GIVEN that the chartered vessel ran aground in Suez Canal at around 8 am local time on March 23, 2021. This accident occurred at 6 nautical miles from the southern entry of the Canal as the container ship proceeded northbound through the waterway from the Red Sea. Gusty winds of 30 knots caused the container ship to deviate, suspected leading to the grounding. Evergreen has urged the shipowner to investigate the cause of this accident and work closely with Suez Canal Authority and related agencies to re-float the stranded ship as soon as possible. EVER GIVEN is a 20,000 TEU-class container ship, currently leased by Evergreen Marine Corp. under a time charter agreement with the crew hired by the shipowner. The ship is currently deployed on a Far East-Europe service route. A few of Schenker containers are along onboard but none of them pertains to our customers in India. Currently, the route is blocked, and ships are in queue to pass. If you need specific information on this topic kindly contact the relevant person or feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any kind of support and assistance. We will keep you posted as and when we receive further updates. Relevant Contact for the news: Suresh Kumar Kannappan Chief Commercial Officer (Cluster ISC) Email: [email protected] Yours sincerely, Marketing & Communications India Schenker India Pvt. Ltd. Phone + 91 124 4645 000 www.dbschenker.com/in [email protected] .
    [Show full text]
  • Ever Given Special
    EVER GIVEN SPECIAL JURIDISCH HANDBOEK KAPITEIN STAAT ONLINE NR 2 - JUNI 2021 Maritieme hbo-opleidingen, cursussen en trainingen www.miwb.nl Postbus 26 8880 AA West-Terschelling T 0562 44 66 00 NHL Hogeschool. Vergroot je perspectief. COLOFON VOOR UW AGENDA Notices to Master Mariners verschijnt 4 maal per jaar en is I.v.m. de corona maatregelen nog nader op het officiële en onafhankelijke orgaan van de Nederlandse Vereniging van Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij (NVKK). te geven. Zie de Dgitale Nieuwsbrief en de De NVKK is opgericht in 1943 en aangesloten bij: NVKK-Website IFSMA, International Federation of Shipmaster’s Associations CESMA, Confederation of European Shipmaster’s Associations. ALGEMENE ADRESGEGEVENS: INHOUDSOPGAVE Postadres: Nederlandse Vereniging van Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij, Wassenaarseweg 2, Voorwoord 4 2596 CH ‘s-Gravenhage E-mail: [email protected] IFSMA: Rechtspositie kapitein 5 Website: www.nvkk.nl Koninklijke Onderscheiding 6 ----------------------------- Ever Given: Van de redactie 8 Ever Given: Internet links 9 Dagelijks Bestuur: Voorzitter: L. van den Ende, : 06-83944694 Relatie loods-kapitein in Suez Vice-voorzitter: J.P. Bosma, : 06-13827308 Kanaal 16 Secretaris: D. Roest, : 06-23850923 Suezkanaal geblokkeerd! 19 Penningmeester: J. Boonstra : 06-13639145 Ever Given: The Blame Game 28 NL-Vaccinatieprogramma zeevarenden 38 Stowaways Guidance & Checklist 39 Betalingen: Juridisch Handboek Kapitein 40 T.n.v. Penningmeester NVKK, Den Haag Bankrekening: IBAN: NL14 INGB 0002 4653 14 4 mei Kranslegging 41 Secretariaatsmededelingen 42 Redactie: H.A. L’Honoré Naber, J.P.Bosma C.J.W.Herfst OP DE VOORPAGINA J.C.Ulrich De Ever Given wordt uitgegraven (foto Bijdragen van: R. Ballieux SCA) J. Boonstra J.F.
    [Show full text]
  • Suez Canal Blockage: an Analysis of Legal Impact, Risks and Liabilities to the Global Supply Chain
    MATEC Web of Conferences 339, 01019 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202133901019 ISTSML 2021 Suez Canal blockage: an analysis of legal impact, risks and liabilities to the global supply chain 1 1* Jade Man-yin Lee , and Eugene Yin-cheung Wong 1The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, School of Decision Sciences, 6/F, Lee Quo Wei Academic Building, Hang Shin Link, Siu Lek Yuen, Shatin, Hong Kong Abstract. The global supply chain currently thrown into chaos due to the Suez Canal incident. On 23 March 2021, the Suez Canal, one of the most heavily used shipping routes, was blocked by vast container ship – the Ever Given. Affecting over 400 vessels scheduled to pass through the Canal in the East-West and West-East directions. Such vessels experienced a dilemma of the use of routes and schedules. Other victims included vessels that were scheduled to arrive at/pass through the Canal, shippers, consignees, ship operators, ship owners, and container terminals. About USD$15 to 17 billion has been held up. This paper aims to reveal the potential damage caused to parties involved and examine the liability of parties involved. Specifically, the impact and legal consequences of the obstruction such as how the scope of general average applies as well as the possible solutions to minimise damage are discussed, followed by future developments. These results suggested that maritime transport support global supply chain linkages and economic growth, any disruption could bring huge impact and costs on various stakeholders along the supply chain. On this basis, the world should learn a lesson from this incident and the need for thoroughness prevention measure should be considered.
    [Show full text]
  • Suez Canal Blockage: How Cargo Ships Like Ever Given Became So Huge, and Why They're Causing Problems 2 April 2021, by Evangelos Boulougouris
    Suez Canal blockage: How cargo ships like Ever Given became so huge, and why they're causing problems 2 April 2021, by Evangelos Boulougouris Container ships have been increasing in size for decades in order to carry more containers on each voyage. According to analysis from Allianz, the number of 20-foot containers that ships can carry has increased by 1,500% over the past 50 years. One of the most significant size upgrades came when Maersk introduced its E-series in 2006, which can carry around 15,000 containers—doubling the capacity of the previous largest container ships. In the 15 years since then, some 133 ships have been launched with a carrying capacity of between 18,000 and 24,000 containers. These are classed as ultra large container vessels—the biggest boats The Ever Given may have grounded after its containers in the world. The Ever Given is one such vessel. caught high winds in the Suez Canal. Credit: Suez Canal Authority Economies of scale Megaships are particularly attractive for international shipping firms because they offer The six-day blockage of the Suez Canal by a economies of scale: the larger the ship, the more megaship named Ever Given came to an end on efficient it is at transporting goods. March 29 after salvage teams used dredging and tug boats to heave the vessel back into operation. The Ever Given can carry 20,000 containers, while so-called very large containerships can carry a The capacity of a single vessel to block one of the maximum of just 9,000 containers.
    [Show full text]
  • World Trade a Ected by Container Ship Blocking Suez Canal
    3/26/2021 World Trade Affected by Container Ship Blocking Suez Canal AS IT IS World Trade Aected by Container Ship Blocking Suez Canal March 25, 2021 A very large container ship struck land and is blocking Egypt’s Suez Canal waterway. At least 150 other ships cannot pass it, ocials said. e ship, called the Ever Given, is registered in Panama. It usually carries cargo between Asia and Europe. It ran aground Tuesday in the manmade waterway that connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Eorts to free the ship using heavy equipment have not been successful. Billions of dollars of products and supplies cannot pass through the canal as a result. e ship’s Japanese owner oered a written apology ursday for the incident. “We are determined to keep on working hard to resolve this situation as soon as possible,” Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. said, adding “we would like to apologize.” Ocials began work again to free the ship ursday morning aer stopping for the night, an Egyptian canal ocial said. e ocial said workers hoped they would not have to unload the ship in an eort to free it because that would extend the closure. e ocial did not want to be identied because the person did not have permission to talk to reporters. Workers using heavy equipment have tried to clear dirt around the large ship. Other boats have tried to push it, but satellite pictures show it is still in the same place. A team from Boskalis, a Dutch company that specializes in such problems, arrived at the canal on ursday.
    [Show full text]